Overview
The Christian Age
The Christian Age, or the Church Age officially started on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended to heaven. The Church was not clearly seen in the Old Testament, although it was clear that God’s covenant with Abraham would bless all the nations. While Daniel 9:26 and Isaiah 53 predicted the rejection of the Jewish Messiah and his sacrificial death (as the true Lamb of God pictured in the Old Testament), that still left the clear division of the Church Age a mystery to the Jews. That mystery was resolved and explained by the disciples of Jesus as they penned the New Testament — lived out in the book of Acts. Remember that Jesus and his disciples were all Jews. They didn’t set out to start something new. They just recognized Jesus as the promised Jewish Messiah, and were unable to continue in the Temple and Synagogue. The Church was born, and national Israel was soon to be exiled once again in 70AD.
Acts 28:28
[Paul to the Jewish leaders in Rome] Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.
Daniel 9:26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing”
Isaiah 53: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
Luke 9:20-22
20And (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” 21But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
Acts 11 – The disciples of Jesus begin to understand
Peter recounting the experience with Cornelius in Acts 10…
“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
The Church and The Gentiles
When God promised Abraham – “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed”, that prophecy was fulfilled when the Jews rejected their Messiah and the message of the gospel was focused on the Gentiles for an unknown period of time.
The bible explains in Romans 11 that the Gentiles were grafted into the family tree. God knew that national Israel would reject their Messiah, but God is not finished with the Jews. (see our articles on the unconditional nature of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants.) In the meantime God is focused on the Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles. See also Eph 3:4-6
John 10:16 ” I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”
The Tribulation
The Tribulation is described in the bible as a one-time and final judgement event of the current age we live in. It will last 7-years, broken down into two 3 1/2 year periods. This is the 70th week described in the book of Daniel chapter 9. We learn much more in Matthew 24 and Revelation.
The Rapture
The rapture is the most unusual prophetic future event that we know about. It describes the resurrection and removal of true believers in Jesus just before the tribulation begins. There is lots of debate around this as some of the details are not spelled out in black and white in the Bible. The event is described in 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15 and John 14.
The Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final revelation of Endtimes prophecy. It makes sense that it would be more detailed, and it is. It is also mostly a chronological timeline tied to the coming Tribulation period. (Matthew 24)
The Second Coming
The event that culminates the Tribulation period, Jesus Christ returns to earth as promised, to the Mount of Olives — this time in Judgment. (Revelation 19)(Zechariah 14:4) Not a joyful time of receiving believers.